Free Reckless Hearts: A Billionaire Romance by Lucy Lambert Page A

rich, earthy sent of it reminding me of home. Whoever planted the saplings had also taken the time to stake the smaller ones to posts to keep them from blowing down in the wind.
    "Every tree cut down gets replaced by a new one. Utopia is all about sustainability and giving back. I have a dozen other sites all over the US just like this one. It's the same in our other enterprises, too, not just the logging."
    I reached out and let my fingertip run across a green maple leaf of the nearest sapling. My finger came back dampened with dew, which I wiped on my jeans.
    "So to answer your question, this is how I sleep at night. I know that everything my company and its subsidiaries takes gets replaced. Do you believe me yet?"
    I realized then that he wasn't playing, he wasn't being sarcastic. He wanted me to acknowledge him. Wanted to show me that he was not the evil capitalist I painted him as back at the keynote.
    I considered telling him that I thought this whole thing could be a set up. Sure, he claimed a dozen sites for logging and who knew how many for whatever other industries Utopia dipped its toes into. But this could be the only one.
    I couldn't say that though, because I believed him. "Yes, I guess I do. But that doesn't change the way I feel."
    "Fair enough."
    "So can we go back now? I do have a class in the afternoon."
    Owen stopped in the shade of some of the older trees and checked his watch. "It's only 9:00 now. Lots of time. You know, this area really is beautiful. There's a stream not far from here. I go there sometimes when I want to get away from the world. I'll show you."
    Another secret , I thought. I couldn't say I wasn't tempted. But the good student part of me kept tugging at my mind, telling me I could get my first body paragraph done on that essay still if he took me back to the campus right now.
    "I don't think we should..."
    "You do a lot of thinking. Some might even say that you over think things."
    I stepped into the shade as well, happy to get out of the sun. I should have brought sun screen.
    "Is that how you like your girls? Not thinking too much about things? Just going with it? You say, 'Hey, look how sexy I am. I can drive stick. Don't think about it too much,' and then they're yours forever, is that how it goes?"
    He reached up with one hand and cupped his mouth, pulling his fingers down so that I could hear the rasp of his stubble against his palm. I guess he tried to wipe his smirk away and couldn't.
    "What's so funny about that?" I said, my back stiffening with wounded pride, "It wasn't a joke."
    "Oh, I know." No matter how tightly he pulled at his cheeks, that smile wouldn't disappear. I hated it.
    "Tell me now or I'm going to start walking back to the campus. You can keep your precious little stream all to yourself for all I care."
    He let his hand drop, took a deep breath to steady himself, and fought the smile back into something like a neutral expression. The corners of his mouth refused to go down, though.
    "No, don't go. I'll tell you. I didn't realize you found my ability to drive stick sexy."
    I gawked at him, sputtering, "What? No! That's not what I... It's not sexy, okay? I didn't say what I meant."
    Even without the sunlight to glint in them, mischief flashed in his eyes. "What is it that you find sexy about it? Hmm, this is going to need some further thought. I'll mull it over while we get to the stream. It's a bit of a hike."
    As before, he started walking without waiting for me to follow him. The saplings were older back here. Taller and thicker, letting into the real forest pretty close by. If I didn't follow soon, I'd lose him in that thicket.
    Looking back, I saw the sun shimmer off the Jeep's windshield. I could wait there. But who knew how long Owen would make me wait? I could also make good on my threat and start walking back to the campus myself.
    Except that meant probably a three hour walk at least. That, and I didn't know the way.
    So again, I followed him, turning back